Congratulations! You’ve just become the proud owner of hearing aids – an incredible piece of modern tech. But, just like with all new devices, there are things that hearing aid owners wish someone had told them.
Let’s examine how a new hearing aid owner can avoid the 9 most common hearing aid errors.
1. Not learning how hearing aids work
Or, more specifically, understand how your hearing aid works. The hearing experience will be significantly improved if you know how to use advanced features for different settings like on the street, at the movies, or in a restaurant.
It might be able to sync wirelessly to your smartphone, TV, or stereo. It may also have a setting that makes phone calls clearer.
If you use this advanced technology in such a rudimentary way, without learning about these features, you can easily get stuck in a rut. Hearing aids these days can do more than make the sound louder.
In order to get the clearest and best sound, take some time to practice using the hearing aid in different places. Ask a friend or family member to help you so you can check how well you can hear.
After a bit of practice, as with anything new, it will get easier. And your hearing experience will be much better than when you just raise and lower the volume.
2. Thinking that your hearing will instantly improve
In line with number one, many new hearing aid owners think their hearing will be perfect as they walk out of the office. This assumption is normally not how it works. Some say it takes a month or more before they’re completely comfortable with their hearing aid. But stay positive. They also say it’s very worth it.
After you get home, give yourself a couple of days to become accustomed to the new situation. It’s like breaking in a new pair of shoes. You might need to use it in short intervals.
Start in a quiet setting with a friend where you’re only talking. It can be somewhat disorienting at first because people’s voices might not sound the same. Ask your friends if you’re speaking too loud and make the necessary adjustments.
Slowly begin to visit new places and wear the hearing aid for longer periods of time.
Be patient with yourself, and you’ll have lots of great hearing experiences to look forward to.
3. Being untruthful about your level of hearing loss at your hearing exam
In order to be sure you get the correct hearing aid technology, it’s crucial to answer any questions we may ask honestly.
If you already have your hearing aid and realize that perhaps you weren’t as honest as you may have been, come back and ask to be retested. Getting it right the first time is better. The level and type of hearing loss will identify the hearing aid styles that work best for you.
As an illustration, people with hearing loss in the high frequency range will need a specific type of hearing aid. People who are dealing with mid-range hearing loss will call for different technology and etc.
4. Failing to have your hearing aid fitted
Your hearing aids need to manage a few requirements at once: They need to effectively boost sound, they need to be easy to put in and remove, and they need to be comfortable in your ears. All three of those variables will be addressed during your fitting.
When you’re getting fitted, you might:
- Have your hearing tested to determine the power level of your hearing aid.
- Have your ears accurately measured or have molds made (or both).
5. Not tracking your results
It’s highly recommended that you take notes on how your hearing aid performs and feels once you get fitted. If you have problems hearing in big rooms, make a note of that. If your right ear feels tighter than your left, make a note of that. Even make a note if everything feels right on. This can help us make custom, tiny changes to help your hearing aids achieve peak comfort and efficiency.
6. Not anticipating how you’ll use your hearing aids
Some hearing aids are water-resistant. Others, however, can be damaged or even destroyed by water. Perhaps you take pleasure in certain activities and you are willing to pay extra for more advanced features.
We can give you some suggestions but you must decide for yourself. Only you know what state-of-the-art features you’ll actually use and that’s worth committing to because if the hearing aids don’t work with your lifestyle you won’t use them.
You and your hearing aid will be together for a number of years. So if you really need certain functions, you don’t want to settle for less.
A few more things to think about
- Speak with us about these things before your fitting so you can be certain you’re completely satisfied.
- You may want something that is very automated. Or perhaps you enjoy having more control over the volume. How much battery life will you need?
- How obvious your hearing aid is may be something you’re worried about. Or, you may want to make a bold statement.
During the fitting process we can address many of the challenges with regards to lifestyle, fit, and how you use your hearing aids. Also, you may be able to try out your hearing aids before you commit to a purchase. During this trial period, you’ll be able to get an idea of whether a particular brand of hearing aid would be right for you.
7. Not correctly taking care of your hearing aids
Moisture is a significant problem for the majority of hearing aids. You may want to get a dehumidifier if you live in an overly humid location. Storing your hearing aid in the bathroom where people take baths or showers is a bad idea.
Consistently wash your hands before touching the hearing aid or batteries. The life of your hearing aid and the duration of its battery can be effected by the oils normally found in your skin.
Don’t let earwax or skin cells accumulate on the hearing aid. Instead, the manufacturer’s suggested cleaning procedures should be implemented.
Taking simple steps like these will improve the life and function of your hearing aid.
8. Not having spare batteries
Frequently, it’s the worst time when new hearing aid owners learn this one. When you’re about to discover who did it at the crucial moment of your favorite show, your batteries quit without warning.
Like most electronics, battery life varies depending on how you use it and the outside environment. So always keep a spare set of batteries handy, even if you recently changed them. Don’t allow an unpredictable battery to cause you to miss out on something important.
9. Not practicing your hearing exercises
When you first purchase your hearing aids, there might be a presumption, and it’s not necessarily a baseless assumption, that your hearing aid will do all the heavy lifting. But it’s not just your ears that are affected by hearing loss, it’s also the regions of your brain in charge of interpreting all those sounds.
Once you get your hearing aids, you’ll be able to start the work of restoring some of those ear-to-brain pathways and links. For some people, this might happen rather naturally and this is especially true if the hearing loss developed recently. But for other people, an intentional approach might be necessary to get your hearing firing on all cylinders again. A couple of typical strategies include the following.
Reading out loud
One of the best ways you can restore those pathways between your ears and your brain is to spend some time reading out loud. Even if you feel a little strange at first you should still practice like this. You’re practicing reconnecting the feeling of saying words with the sounds they make. Your hearing will get better and better as you continue practicing.
Audiobooks
You can always try audiobooks if reading out loud isn’t appealing to you. You can buy (or rent from the library) a physical copy of a book and the audiobook version of that same text. Then, you read along with the book as the audiobook plays. You’ll hear a word as you’re reading it just like reading out loud. This will train the language parts of your brain to hear speech again.
Resources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK10900/
